Self-service floating fuel station



June 22, 1965 .1. H. MANDEL 3,190,495

SELF-SERVICE momma FUEL STATION Filed Feb. 7, 1963 M a V Y INVENTOR 7 BY g ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,190,495 SELF-SERVICE FLOATING FUEL STATKON Jerome H. Mandel, 93(l1 67th Ave., Forest Hills, N.Y. Filed Feb. 7, 1963, Ser. No. 256,954 4 Claims. (Cl. 222-2) This invention relates to a lightly constructed buoy equipped to dispense fuel to small sea-going craft primarily of the pleasure boat class.

The simplicity of this arrangement provides an economically feasible solution to the problem of securing fuel at crowded boat docks or marina piers. The subject device contemplates a floating coin-operated dispenser serving gasoline mixtures in equal U.S. gallon quantities through a flexible hoseline simply supported on a standard type buoy.

Prior art demonstrates attempts at heavy installations primarily for loading and unloading oil tankers, also the use of floating buoys wherein the fuel is stored. Variations of these devices incorporate complex rotating mooring methods, mechanical pumping facilities, and buoys large enough to accommodate crew living quarters.

It is the object of this invention to provide an offshore floating buoy, securely anchored and in close proximity to a shoreline supply tank.

A further object of this invention is to provide a buoy with a rigid pipe passing vertically through its center and extending approximately 12" above the top of the buoy and 12" below its bottom. Attached to the rigid pipe at the bottom is a flexible hoseleading along the water bottom to a fuel storage tank on shore. Attached to the top is a flexible hose-line leading to a nozzle.

, A still further object of this invention is to provide a buoy around which is constructed a mooring ring to enable small vessels to tie-up for the brief fueling period. On the mooring ring is mounted a standard type of coin meter with an operable lever leading to a valve mechanism in the center pipe which allows fuel to'flow when the lever is depressed. The nozzle end of the supply hose is equipped with a manually operated valve for flow control.

A still further object of this invention, in addition to the foregoing, is to utilize the forces of gravity by placing the fuel storage tank at an elevation on the shoreline above the level of the buoy, resulting in a head difierential.

In further fulfilament of the above-noted objectives, the general facility of this arrangement by virtue of utilizing pressure head, buoyancy and a coin box all serve to provide a much needed convenience to the marina operator.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an outboard motorboat 1 is moored to a tie-up ring 2 which is afiixed by metal struts 3 to a buoy body 4 which buoy is anchored by lines 4a and 4b. The boat operator, in seeking to refuel, inserts the required amount of money, in coin, in a coin box 5 under which is placed a round mesh catch basket 6. Box 5 includes a coin slot 5a to receive the coin. Upon depositing the coins, a lever 7 is depressed and through a simple linkage device and butterfly valve 8 a specific quantity of fuel is released into a supply hose 9. The butterfly valve is part of a center pipe 10 at the top of which is attached the supply hose 9. Hose 9 includes a valve 12 for controlling flow from a nozzle 11. The dispensing system from coin box 5 through linkage device 8 to the control valve in center pipe 10 may be adapted for electrical operation from a power source on shore.

At the bottom of the center pipe is fastened a supply line 13 through which the fuel flows from a storage tank 14 on shore. Both the supply hose 9 and the supply 'line 13 are corrugated for a length of approximately 24" where they join the center pipe 10 to allow greater flexibility at the juncture of these tubes and the rigid center pipe.

If the configuration of the ground and the relative elevation differential 16 is adequate for the liquid to flow, then there should be no need for venting the supply line once the system is primed.

As an alternate scheme for inducing flow from the storage tank 14 to the buoy 4, a positive pressure could be established in the tank above the surface of the fuel.

On the other hand, applying a pressure in tank 14 above the surface of the fuel may be used in conjunction with the elevation head developed by elevation differential 16 to cause fuel flow from tank .14 through the feed means 13 and 10 to supply hose 9.

It is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel dispenser comprising, a buoy including float means for supporting said buoy in water with a portion of said buoy held above the water surface, fuel storage means on a fixed reference, feed means coupled between said storage means and said buoy for feeding fuel from said storage means to said buoy, said fixed reference being located at an elevation differential with respect to said buoy to create a head differential for causing fuel flow from said storage means to said buoy, and dispensing means for dispensing a selected fuel quantity from said buoy to a craft alongside thereof, wherein said float means includes a body having an inner space sealed off in a water-tight manner, a tie-up ring substantially surrounding said body for mooring said craft thereto, and strut means intermediate said body and said tie-up ring for rigidly interconnecting them.

2. A fuel dispenser according to claim 1 further comprising, means secured to said body for the connection of means for anchoring said buoy to the ground under said water.

3. A fuel dispenser comprising, a buoy including float means for supporting said buoy in Water with a portion of said buoy held above the water surface, fuel storage means on a fixed reference, feed means coupled between said storage means and said buoy for feeding fuel from said storage means to said buoy, said fixed reference being located at an elevation differential with respect to said buoy to create a head differential for causing fuel flow from said storage means to said buoy, and dispensing means for dispensing a selected fuel quantity from said buoy to a craft alongside thereof, said dispensing means includes a partly flexible supply hose for dispensing said fuel to said craft, said float means having a body portion and a rigid connecting pipe therein, the latter being connected intermediate said supply hose and said feed means, said pipe being provided with valve means for discharging said selected quantity of fuel to said sup ply hose, portions of said supply hose and said feed means being corrugated at the respective junctions with said pipe to allow greater flexibility thereat, wherein said dispensing means also includes a coin operated control means for opening and closing said valve means to allow said selected fuel quantity to flow through said pipe and into said supply hose.

4. A fuel dispenser according to claim 3, wherein said control means is secured to a peripheral portion of said float means for easy access from said craft, and further comprising guard means substantially under a coin-insertion slot of said control means and extending radially from said peripheral portion toward said craft for preventing coins from accidentally falling into said water.

(References on following page) References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Elliott 2222 X Martin et a1 2222 X Schneckenburger 194-13 Marancik et a1 141388 Lockwood 138-121 Griebe 9-8 Schultz 9-8 3,086,367 4/63 Foster 9-8 X 3,111,692 11/63 COX 98 3,118,155 1/64 Siegel 98 FOREIGN PATENTS 486,942 9/52 Canada.

LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner.

ERNEST A. FALLER, Examiner. 

1. A FUEL DISPENSER COMPRISING, A BUOY INCLUDING FLOAT MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID BUOY IN WATER WITH A PORTION OF SAID BUOY HELD ABOVE THE WATER SURFACE, FUEL STORAGE MEANS ON A FIXED REFERENCE, FEED MEANS COUPLED BETWEEN SAID STORAGE MEANS AND SAID BUOY FOF FEEDING FUEL FROM SAID STORAGE MEANS TO SAID BUOY, SAID FIXED REFERENCE BEING LOCATED AT AN ELEVATION DIFFERENTIAL RESPECT TO SAID BUOY TO CREATE A HEAD DIFFERENTIAL FOR CAUSING FUEL FLOW FROM SAID STORAGE MEANS TO SAID BUOY, AND DISPENING MEANS FOR DISPENSING A SELECTED FUEL QUANTITY FROM SAID BUOY TO A CRAFT ALONGSIDE THEREOF, WHEREIN SAID FLOAT MEANS INCLUDES A BODY HAVING AN INNER SPACE SEALED OFF IN A WATER-TIGHT MANNER, A TIE-UP RING SUBSTANTIALLY SURROUNDING SAID BODY FOR MOORING SAID CRAFT THERETO, AND STRUT MEANS INTERMEDIATE SAID BODY AND SAID TIE-UP RING FOR RIGIDLY INTERCONNECTING THEM. 